[feliz6]

so, DS is almost 2 months old. up until a couple of days ago we didnt really have a bedtime routine.

now it goes, bath, feed, a bed time story- the same one every night, and a song- same song every night.

then i put DS into his cot and pat. DS cries. i pick up DS, calm him, put him into cot. DS cries. i pick up DS, calm him, put him back into the cot. repeat.
at the moment its taking about one hour for DS to fall asleep/ stay alseep.

do you think my routine sounds ok? should i be doing something differently. considering the routine is only new do you think one hour is a reasonable time for it to take DS to fall alseep?

[minidiamond]

It sounds okay to me. What time are you putting to bed ? Does he wake in the night ?

I started a routine around the same age but let DS fall asleep in our arms. At 16 weeks, I started to put him down awake (and got a bit of a flaming by some ppl here btw but that's ok), put a limit of 3 minutes crying before I'd pick him up again, but only let him stay down with whingy crying, not screaming.

He's four months still doesn't fall asleep himself without a few little grumbles but we continue to work on it. My DS is so interested in what's going on around him, it can be a battle so I try to make sure he's really tired without being over-tired.

[erindiv]

It sounds good to me. I had trouble with my own DS at that age crying for an hour or so before he would go to sleep. I think sometimes it's just everything from the day catching up with them, they feel a bit overwhelmed but they're tired, but they are starting to take notice of the world around them a bit more and sometimes don't want to go to sleep!

I admire you for being able to comfort over and over again for an hour though. The most I could stand at a time was about 10 minutes, then I had to take myself out of the room for a breather for a few minutes

[Loz07]

Sounds good to me. I admire you for being able to put DS down awake.... DD doesn't go down awake at night.

As PPs have said, what time is bedtime (from what I understand between 6 and 8pm is good - at 2mo I think we started bedtime closer to 8 and slowly brought it forward), and how long does he sleep for afterward? If you are getting a decent few hours before he wakes, then I think an hour to settle is fine (FWIW, we spend 2, sometimes more hours settling and then re-settling....).

Fingers crossed for you he starts to pick up the new routine and the time starts to shorten

[axiomae]

I started a routine like that about 12 weeks. I read somewhere (don't ask me where, can't remember) that the pick up put down method was too stimulating for younger babies and patting/shhing in the cot or body rocking or rocking the bassinet (if you use one) will be easier for baby to fall asleep because they're not being wholly woken up when trying to go to sleep.

I rocked DDs bassinet (and then did body rocking when she moved into a cot, where you place one hand on baby's chest and rock baby gently back and forth). This was a great success. She was falling asleep in ten minutes fairly quickly. When she was consistently falling asleep under five minutes I phased out the rocking and just put her down awake. Now she goes to sleep singing to herself and its lovely

Takes time, just be consistent.

[pinkcupcakes]

it sounds like you're doing really well,op. my dd was a terrible sleeper (not saying yours will be though!) but she would take an hour to get to bed sometimes. consistency seems to be the thing ( did someone already say that?) and it sounds like you've got a really good routine going. i think too,sometimes its not what you're doing that's wrong, its just the type of sleeper your baby is.keep up the good work!

[Miss Cookie]

Sounds good OP. at that age I rocked, walked or bounced to sleep. Over time I would rock till drowsy then put down and pat and decrease the rocking slowly till just patting the reduced the patting until I could put down awake.

Do you wrap? I found that helped my son feel secure.

[sarkazm76]

At 8 weeks I wouldn't worry too much about him not wanting to put himself to sleep - he's still very new to it all. I think your routine sounds great but if he doesn't want to setlle in his cot I would just keep him in my arms. We always did with DS and it was much more peaceful for all involved - don't stress too much, he will do it when he's ready - he might just not be ready. An hour seems a long time for you all to be going through that.

[meggs1]

I started a routine like that about 12 weeks. I read somewhere (don't ask me where, can't remember) that the pick up put down method was too stimulating for younger babies and patting/shhing in the cot or body rocking or rocking the bassinet (if you use one) will be easier for baby to fall asleep because they're not being wholly woken up when trying to go to sleep.

I rocked DDs bassinet (and then did body rocking when she moved into a cot, where you place one hand on baby's chest and rock baby gently back and forth). This was a great success. She was falling asleep in ten minutes fairly quickly. When she was consistently falling asleep under five minutes I phased out the rocking and just put her down awake. Now she goes to sleep singing to herself and its lovely

Takes time, just be consistent.

I think this is great advice. Try rocking in arms doing the lullabye til you see the eyes start to glaze, then put down and do the patting/bassinet jiggling or whatever.

We found that the story was too stimulating and dropped it, put it back in the routine before bath time around 9 months.

[feliz6]

Thanks for the replies. I hadn't thought about the extra stimulation the pick up, put down might be creating. Perhaps we need to wait a little longer before putting him down in order for the patting to work. I like the idea of book before bath also. DS was waking frequently- like every hour which is why this routine was suggested to me. He goes three hours plus before waking. Rest of the night isn't great.